LSUS's School Psychology program conducting free development and readiness assessments for young children

LSUS's School Psychology program conducting free development and readiness assessments for young children

SHREVEPORT - Northwest Louisiana parents can screen their kids for development and school readiness through the LSU Shreveport School Psychology program.

Children ages 2-6 are eligible to be screened by LSUS students in the Specialist in School Psychology program under the supervision of faculty members.

Slots are full for June, but parents can have their students be considered for participation this fall by filling out an interest form. The screening is free.

"There's a lot of need for these screenings, and they are more comprehensive than the screening pediatricians are able to do as part of annual checkups," said Dr. Amber Harris, assistant professor in psychology who specializes in early childhood. "This is an assessment that will examine their communication, cognitive development, social-emotional skills, self-help skills, and motor skills.

"This is a great opportunity for parents of children entering preschool or kindergarten to see where they are at and what they can work on over the summer before school starts. This also provides our school psychology students with vital, hands-on experience in working with the early childhood population."

The screenings will be administered in the Community Counseling and Psychology Clinic on the first floor of the Business and Education Building on the LSUS campus.

Families will receive full results and individualized recommendations.

Harris said the assessment is "play-based" and could provide evidence of any developmental delays that a child may be experiencing.

Assessments will be performed by second-year graduate students as part of their 300 hours of applied practice to become school psychology specialists. School psychology specialists are equivalent to clinical psychologists that operate specifically in a school setting and are focused on learning disorders and behavior.

"These types of screenings will be a big part of their jobs as school psychology specialists, and this type of experience is vital to our program," said Harris, who spent 19 years as an early childhood school psychologist. "The students get practical experience, and families in our community can get a snapshot of how their child is progressing and if any concerns were validated.

"If we can offer some clinic experiences on our campus for students while filling a need in the community, it's just mutually beneficial for everybody."

Harris, who is part of the state's only specialist level school psychology training program in the state, plans to offer more assessment opportunities throughout the year because of community demand.

This opportunity would include new children as well as follow-up assessments for children who may have developmental delays.

To learn more about LSUS's Specialist in School Psychology program, visit the program's website.